Alexandria, VA area?

[Saille]

I've got a friend who homeschools her three kids, and her family is relocating from way out west to Alexandria, VA. Her husband is having a terrible time beating his way through the traffic to look at rentals, and they're also having a hard time finding anything they can afford. Here are her basic criteria:

 

Really we need to be at max $2600. Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, maybe Falls Church, but we really need to be within or close to the beltway otherwise the commute is too bad. Three bedroom. Within 1-2 miles of metro, as we (kids and I) will not have a car. Takes pets - 2 dogs and a cat.

 

She says everyone's telling her it doesn't exist...and I know, it's super expensive there. But I'm worried about her, and asking around is what I can do. Does anyone have any ideas? Please?

[sillymommy]

If you PM her contact info to me, I can post her request to the moms group I belonged to in Alexandria. Most members of the groups live in the Del Ray or West End neighborhoods--near Blessed Sacrament church & George Mason School. There are also several homeschooling families in that area.

[hellen]

I know it sounds counterintuitive but if the husband can take the metro to work they might try the Maryland side. I wouldn't drive to work from there but I think traffic in the DC area is especially horrendous.

[Saille]

sillymommy, I pm'ed you!

 

I think they have looked at the MD side, but I think she said the Metro there does not go to Arlington?

[Cera]

Have her try militarybyowner.com. You don't have to be a military family to rent from the site and I saw quite a few that would met their criteria listed on there.

[Rebecca VA]

We just purchased a home in Alexandria. We will be living in the Taylor Run/Clover section of town. It is all very expensive -- the price of our new house is almost twice what our old house sold for.

 

My husband (who works at the Pentagon) was emphatic about purchasing a house right on the edge of D.C. If we had moved to the southern part of Alexandria, his daily commute would have been very time-consuming. We are just a couple of miles from his office now.

 

The houses are much older in Alexandria than they are in my current town. It took us a while to find a house that was both affordable (cough) and in beautiful condition. The only reason we were able to buy our new house was because the floor plan is a little unusual, which meant that other buyers were passing it up, and the seller lowered the price. We loved it and nabbed it right away.

 

If your friend's husband would be willing to take the bus or the NEW MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM (opening within the next year, hopefully) from Reston, Herndon, or even further west, they will find the houses to be much newer and more affordable. Thousands and thousands of people commute every day -- my husband often took the commuter bus from Leesburg, and he said it was enjoyable.

[Saille]

This is all helpful, thank you!

 

Here is what she says about the commute in from the west:

 

The problem with taking the bus for dh is that he is working out of two different offices -- the main office in Arlington proper (the Shirlington area), and a satellite project office that is in the Western part of Arlington. He'll need to move between these offices during the day many days, and will need a car.

 

The need to be near a metro stop is for her and the kids, as they're giving up one car to afford to live there at all. Needing the metro to go into Arlington is more about the need to get to each other than the need for him to get to work each day.

[StephanieZ]

Fat chance. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sorry to say, but they are going to have a very, very tough time staying in budget in those areas. If they find something cheap enough, it is going to be in a TERRIBLE neighborhood.

 

They are going to have to suck it up; dh is going to have to commute long/far. There are carpool options for major areas, metro buses as well as metro trains.

 

They are going to have to go further out. Much further. I love the Reston area, but Ashburn is really nice and a bit more affordable (but toll road fees will kill you), although it is even further out. If they can find something near or in Reston, that's a good way to go. There is metro trains coming to Reston next year, and there are already express buses, etc.

 

They will need to look at townhouses (or even codo/apt). It is possible they might find a townhouse to rent or buy in that price range if they are willing to go further out.

 

TBH, I wouldn't want to live in those inner beltway areas unless I had minimum $700k into a house in one of the most posh neighborhoods (where houses are mostly nearer $1mil+) Anything under $500k or so would be most likely a VERY sketchy neighborhood. Really.

 

(I grew up in NoVA, and later lived and home-owned there as an adult from 2000-2004, and my mom and other relatives still live and home-own there.)

[QueenCat]

They are going to have to go further out. Much further. I love the Reston area, but Ashburn is really nice and a bit more affordable (but toll road fees will kill you), although it is even further out. If they can find something near or in Reston, that's a good way to go. There is metro trains coming to Reston next year, and there are already express buses, etc.

 

They will need to look at townhouses (or even codo/apt). It is possible they might find a townhouse to rent or buy in that price range if they are willing to go further out.

 

My sister lives in Ashburn, and her dh commutes to DC. He goes early, so it's not too bad. About 50 minutes to get there... but over an hour to get home. I laugh at calling it affordable but in that area, it is... they have a 2400 sq.ft. townhouse that cost around $500k. Granted, they are in a gated community, so that does bring up the cost. My dad commuted to DC from Howard County, Md for most of my life. Commutes are just part of the picture for most people when you live in that part of the country.

[StephanieZ]

Yup, commutes are just part of the deal in that area. When I worked there between undergrad and gradschool, my commute EACH WAY was 90 min if I drove solo (8-9 AM, not allowed HOV) or 45 min if I could get in the carpool (crack of dawn in the HOV lanes.)

 

The one car solution is fine. Dh can take buses from/to anywhere he needs to go, so long as they are living in a reasonably populated area. Zillions of people commute via metro buses and/or trains. You don't have to be next to a Metro station. Dh can take the car on occasion if dw is OK w/o the car for the day, but the norm would be dh commutes via bus and/or train. Honestly, commuting via metro will be a money and time saver.

 

Ashburn is nice. It's where dh & I lived from 2000-2004. Only downside is the commute is a touch longer and can be a LOT more expensive b/c of the toll road there (4ish dollars each way . . . and going up all the time . . . I can't keep up with how it goes up so fast.) But, it is a really nice area.

 

FYI, there are a zillion hs'ers in NoVA! It was hs paradise. :)

[dsmama]

Has he looked into Slugging? I know this sounds foreign to anyone outside the DC/NOVA area, but it is a very common practice. People move further out (Springfield, Woodbridge, even Spotsylvania). Then they find a random ride into work. Odd? Yes. Please follow....

 

So...the worker in this "far out" family needs to get to work inside the beltway. Meanwhile, single passenger drivers are looking for seat fillers in order to get on the HOV lanes, which have much less traffic So there has developed an unusual, almost symbiotic situation. People line up at various locations and find rides every day. The drivers pull up, state their destination (Rosslyn, Pentagon, etc.), and waiting people volunteer to fill a seat. This is called "slugging." There is a huge following, web sites, etiquette, etc.

 

I know it sounds creepy (wouldn't be my thing), but I know many a man who has done it every workday and survived and thrived.

[bettyandbob]

I think they may need to rehome pets and look at smallish townhouses and condos.

 

Living further west: If mom has no car, Reston is doable without a car. Coops and joining field trip groups is likely not possible. But Reston has many recreation options for extracurricular classes, a good bike path system, great library, and good connections to mass transit to DC for free museums.

Eta: there are also bus routes within Reston.

 

I would not do Ashburn or anywhere in loudoun without a car. The mom will be trapped at home. There is no real mass transit. Tolls on the road getting into DC are going up. Any savings at all will be blown away by committing costs. And if the husband does not fully control his schedule he will hav insane commuting times.

 

I think staying closer in would better. If after a year they are willing to take on a bigger commute they can look around while they are here.

Edited August 30, 2012 by betty

[bettyandbob]

Keep in mind the HOV lanes are changing on I 95 , so slugging may not be a real options. I'm in western Fairfax (Reston), so I haven't been following it closely, but they changing them to toll lanes. Someone in the Springfield area may understand how it will work better, but it sounds like the incentive to pick up slugs may go away.

[Saille]

Fat chance. :tongue_smilie:

 

They are going to have to suck it up; dh is going to have to commute long/far. There are carpool options for major areas, metro buses as well as metro trains.

 

He can't. He has cancer. It's treatable, but not curable, and long commutes are very painful.

 

They're going down to one car, no square footage, little or no yard.

 

The economy is tough. We all know it. This is what they have to do.

[Farrar]

Would they consider in the city? I'm happy to talk to her about neighborhoods in DC if you'd like to pm me. We live a short walk from the metro. I know many people on this board can't imagine moving to a center city neighborhood, but I assure you, we're very happy here.

 

Life without a car is much more possible inside the city than outside.

 

Otherwise, it does seem like one of those little garden row houses in Del Rey might maybe maybe be affordable if you could find one for rent, but the walk to the Braddock Rd metro stop from there is slightly long. That's a great neighborhood though.

[Saille]

Yes. She has looked at houses in the Capitol Hill area. I'll pm you.

[Farrar]

Fat chance. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sorry to say, but they are going to have a very, very tough time staying in budget in those areas. If they find something cheap enough, it is going to be in a TERRIBLE neighborhood.

 

They are going to have to suck it up; dh is going to have to commute long/far. There are carpool options for major areas, metro buses as well as metro trains.

 

They are going to have to go further out. Much further. I love the Reston area, but Ashburn is really nice and a bit more affordable (but toll road fees will kill you), although it is even further out. If they can find something near or in Reston, that's a good way to go. There is metro trains coming to Reston next year, and there are already express buses, etc.

 

They will need to look at townhouses (or even codo/apt). It is possible they might find a townhouse to rent or buy in that price range if they are willing to go further out.

 

TBH, I wouldn't want to live in those inner beltway areas unless I had minimum $700k into a house in one of the most posh neighborhoods (where houses are mostly nearer $1mil+) Anything under $500k or so would be most likely a VERY sketchy neighborhood. Really.

 

(I grew up in NoVA, and later lived and home-owned there as an adult from 2000-2004, and my mom and other relatives still live and home-own there.)

 

While the cost of living here is, indeed, nuts, everyone we know lives inside the beltway in both MD and NoVA, most of them don't live in "posh" areas - houses in their neighborhoods can be found for less than $500k and I find this characterization of the neighborhoods as "VERY sketchy" to be really off the mark.:(

[StephanieZ]

While the cost of living here is, indeed, nuts, everyone we know lives inside the beltway in both MD and NoVA, most of them don't live in "posh" areas - houses in their neighborhoods can be found for less than $500k and I find this characterization of the neighborhoods as "VERY sketchy" to be really off the mark.:(

I am sorry that I offended you. I hadn't considered that when I posted, and I apologize.

 

Having grown up and lived in NoVa, I have been immersed too long in gang violence stories and related crime that, to be honest, I was driven to move out of NOVA altogether, as even the relative safety of Loudoun Cy's nicest neighborhoods wasn't sufficient for me. I know safety is relative, but I just don't like the feeling of needing to watch your back and lock your doors constantly. And, that is how I felt in or near DC.

 

Again, I apologize for offending you. It was certainly not my intent.

[Farrar]

I am sorry that I offended you. I hadn't considered that when I posted, and I apologize.

 

Having grown up and lived in NoVa, I have been immersed too long in gang violence stories and related crime that, to be honest, I was driven to move out of NOVA altogether, as even the relative safety of Loudoun Cy's nicest neighborhoods wasn't sufficient for me. I know safety is relative, but I just don't like the feeling of needing to watch your back and lock your doors constantly. And, that is how I felt in or near DC.

 

Again, I apologize for offending you. It was certainly not my intent.

 

That's ok. It's hard if you've had a personal experience with crime. We've had some too in the decade of city living, but not anything that has made me want to leave. I think I just am far away from the perspective that a lot of people have about what makes a good neighborhood or home. When people talk about two and three hour commute times it just boggles my mind. If that's the trade off someone wants, then that's ok, I just think there are other options.

[KungFuPanda]

I can't imagine a worse place to live if you can't physically handle the commute. I'm afraid they'll be miserable. DH only occasionally commutes to DC/NOVA, and his brother lives in Alexandria, but they both have managed to stagger their work hours to avoid traffic.

 

If he can metro in, it will save him driving stress. Public transportation between offices may be much easier than he anticipates. Also, if you live farther out, there are buses and Marc trains to get you to the metro. If they can swing it, people like to do a day or two of telecommuting, or work 4 10-hour days to eliminate a travel day an avoid the stand-still traffic. This is very job specific though.

[delaney]

I can't imagine a worse place to live if you can't physically handle the commute. I'm afraid they'll be miserable. DH only occasionally commutes to DC/NOVA, and his brother lives in Alexandria, but they both have managed to stagger their work hours to avoid traffic.

 

If he can metro in, it will save him driving stress. Public transportation between offices may be much easier than he anticipates. Also, if you live farther out, there are buses and Marc trains to get you to the metro. If they can swing it, people like to do a day or two of telecommuting, or work 4 10-hour days to eliminate a travel day an avoid the stand-still traffic. This is very job specific though.

 

This is what DH does. He goes in 3 days per week but then again he leaves at 4:30am so there is no traffic. He can get in from here in less than an hour that way. Relying on public transport will be tough. DH tried it a bit and it took so much more time he said he would rather drive himself in.

[MariannNOVA]

When people talk about two and three hour commute times it just boggles my mind. If that's the trade off someone wants, then that's ok, I just think there are other options.

 

:iagree: in our experience, the two and three hour commutes wear thin quite quickly.

 

And, 'trade off' is the perfect way to describe the process -- one decides what it is important to them and their family and one goes from there.

 

There are people who would never choose to live where we did -- we love it here. Yet, when we first arrived in DC (11 years ago), and a realtor took us around here, I stuck my nose up at it - it was not at all what i thought I wanted. One really has to examine what they want --

[MaryE]

We lived in Alexandria a few years back. Rented a home from a Foreign Service officer and his wife who were heading to Germany - $2000/mo. Cute WW2 era bungalow with a good sized yard, pets allowed. Not in the poshest of areas, but not bad either. We were within walking distance of a shopping center with a grocery store, and the metro was about 1 1/2 miles away (but there was a bus that went right by the house that could get you there). So I guess what I'm saying, is that it is possible:D. BTW, we found it on Craigslist.

[Alice]

I would suggest adding Vienna/Dunn Loring to her search area. I just did a very quick search on one site and came up with a bunch that would meet the price/bedroom criteria.

 

Vienna is a bit farther out but it is on the Metro. My own neighborhood is walking distance to the Metro (a longish walk but doable) and I think rentals would go for that amount. Her husband’s commute by car would be about 20-30 minutes from Vienna (that’s with bad traffic, less if he is going in early or off hours). Vienna also has the added bonus of being a smallish town like community. There is a bike trail and if you can bike/walk downtown there is a library, parks, stores, etc. That would be nice for a family without a car. And there are a LOT of homeschoolers here. :)

 

It’s going to be hard to find something in Arlington or Alexandria or even Falls Church at those prices. She might find Falls Church but it will not be the city, it will be a neighborhood with the “Falls Church” address. That will mean she is far from the Metro and it will be less walkable. I’m not sure it’s impossible but it will be hard, especially to do quickly. In those areas a house at those prices is going to be small, she may have to take something smaller than desired or with less bedrooms.

 

I would disagree with the poster who said anything but the most posh $700K plus house neighborhoods are “sketchy”. I’ve lived in NOVA since 1995 and only lived in more modest neighborhoods. I’ve lived in Arlington, Falls Church and Vienna. None of them were sketchy and I never felt unsafe.

 

She might also try contacting one of the big churches around here. We use to have a rental and we posted it on some of those church bulletin boards. One is McLean Bible Church. One is the Falls Church (now Anglican). In Arlington Cherrydale Baptist might have a board. McLean Bible is not near where she wants to live but it’s a megachurch and draws thousands and thousands from all over. We had a condo in Falls Church and rented it to people through their bulletin board.

Edited August 30, 2012 by Alice

[athena1277]

Would a townhouse work? They can rent one in our neighborhood for about $2200 (3 BR 2.5 BA) in Fairfax. Not on the Metro line, but on a bus line that will take you to Metro. We also only have 1 car. It's very do-able from where we live. PM me if you want more info.

[Angie in VA]

Has he looked into Slugging? I know this sounds foreign to anyone outside the DC/NOVA area, but it is a very common practice. People move further out (Springfield, Woodbridge, even Spotsylvania). Then they find a random ride into work. Odd? Yes. Please follow....

I've had a friend get burned w/ slugging, and I just read on this thread about changes coming to HOV lanes.

 

I realize there is the problem of getting b/t 2 offices, but speaking of moving south like to Woodbridge or Spotsylvania or out to Manassas, there is the VRE. Here's another link.

 

Pic of VRE map removed 9-13-14

[tabrizia]

I can't imagine a worse place to live if you can't physically handle the commute. I'm afraid they'll be miserable. DH only occasionally commutes to DC/NOVA, and his brother lives in Alexandria, but they both have managed to stagger their work hours to avoid traffic.

 

If he can metro in, it will save him driving stress. Public transportation between offices may be much easier than he anticipates. Also, if you live farther out, there are buses and Marc trains to get you to the metro. If they can swing it, people like to do a day or two of telecommuting, or work 4 10-hour days to eliminate a travel day an avoid the stand-still traffic. This is very job specific though.

 

:iagree:, DH currently commutes into the city, it is a hour to hour and a half commute each way. He normally leaves the house around 6am and is home around 5pm or 6 depending on train delays. He only drives about 10 minutes of his commute so it isn't as bad as having to drive into the city. He is actually currently looking for something closer. We are hoping for something within a 30 minute commute or so, because while the 1 1/2 hours isn't horrible, it also isn't our first choice as for where he spends 3 hours of his day.

[Mrs Mungo]

Keeping an eye out, since we are hoping to be moving this way next summer.

[Saille]

Thank you! I am passing info. on to her via fb. She is very encouraged by the responses, and is following up on leads as fast as they come in. We are both big planners, and having just moved I know how crazymaking it is for her to sit halfway across the country trying to figure this out.

 

Although I have not shared with her the most important information...Mrs. Mungo potential!

[sleepymommy]

I would suggest looking in the town of Vienna. The commute would be around 40 minutes during rush hour. For th mom and kids, there is PLENTY within walking distance. Parks, grocery stores, library, shops, restaurants, drug store. The town green is also walking distance and often holds family friendly events There are also many bus stops and the metro. There are a lot of walkers and bikers.

 

I know that if I didn't have a car then I would feel trapped at home if there wasn't plenty to walk to near by.

 

I'm not as familiar with it, but I believe the City of Falls Church ( not the Fairfax County part) is similar with many walkable places and it also has the metro. But it's also more pricey. It would be a shorter commute though so it would be worthwhile to at least look there.

 

Has she considered hiring a realtor to try and help her hunt something down? I would also check craigslist.

[Saille]

She is checking craigslist constantly, and has called four realtors, all of whom have either laughed at the idea or not called back. :glare:

[MariannNOVA]

She is checking craigslist constantly, and has called four realtors, all of whom have either laughed at the idea or not called back. :glare:

 

 

I hate when they do that.

 

Here are my suggestions:

 

Craigslist (my dd32 and her dh - who live here - have twice found very nice condos on craigslist. The one they are renting right now is amazing - it's a little further out than fairfax county proper, but it is gorgeous, safe, affordable, and large. It is in Potomac Falls - which is considered Sterling and part of sterling are definitely a no-no, but this is not one of them. They are on the Great Falls line and I have been out there to see them -- it IS gorgeous. It is a huge two bedroom with a loft and they pay $1900/mo. They are walking distance to grocery stores, etc. They found it on craigslist. You know, many of these landlords bought 2 and 3 of these types of condos when they were being built and flipping is not going well right now, so they rent them)

 

Military by owner.com -- worth looking at -- we ended with the landlord from heck when we went through this site, but I really do think she was the exception and not the rule.

 

Cameron Station - Alexandria -- worth a look - same situation with many investor owned properties.

 

My experience in nova has always been the same: leave no stone unturned.;)

[hellen]

We did a condo with 2 kids because it seemed easier than the 3 story townhouse but we often regretted it. We had so many problems with downstairs neighbors. My kids were young and did loud things like jump, run, and play cars. It was a relief to get out of there just for that reason. Your friend should think about what her kids are like before choosing a condo. I know there are quieter kids out there than mine.

[Btervet]

It's definitely possible in that price range, I live in the area on significantly less then that. I'd suggest looking in the Mt. Vernon area, south of Alexandria, with buses to the Huntington Station. You can rent townhomes here for $1700-2200, 3 bed with basement. Houses would be $2000-2500.

 

I'd say to look to busing to the metro. You drop about $500/month doing that. Our bus ride for instance takes less then 5 minutes to the metro, so it's not a big time problem. We're also a 1 car family, commute is 30 minutes into DC.

[abdesigns]

I don't know if anyone has posted this, but, if they move to the Maryland side, on the metro line, it wouldn't be that bad. Say, Takoma Park, College Park, Wheaton, or Silver Spring. They could ride the Green line, or Red Line and transfer at Union Station to all of the other lines. It's been six years since I've lived in the area, but I'm pretty sure that houses on the MD side were more affordable, and if his work hours are good, he can get to the pentagon in 30-40 minutes, sometimes quicker. I've always been partial to Takoma Park myself. I do think that homeschooling is harder in MD than VA though. In the correct places in Silver Spring, she would be able to walk to the Grocery Store, bookstores, etc...

[hellen]

You've probably noticed that most people.are assuming the husband will be taking the metro. There is a reason for this. Traffic is extremely heavy. They really need to explore public transportation options between the two offices to see if that is a good option.

 

Somebody from the wide open west may not be anticipating the number of townhouses in the area. They are an extremely popular option and many of them are very nice. They should also ne prepared to have less space. There is less yard and less square footage.

[LisaKinVA]

I've been looking at MLS in that area... it will be very, very difficult. There are condos and some town homes (mostly 2BR, 1BA), there are some foreclosures and auctions...but it's really, really slim pickings. If you want to fwd me the preferred zip-codes, I can send you some links to properties. I have found most things in that price range to be around 1,000 sq. ft. There are some higher, and some lower.

 

I'm not a realtor, but I was raised in the industry...I'm also less familiar with a lot of these neighborhoods. The best I can do is "general" terms, and provide links to listings. They may not be in a market to buy, but some of these sellers may be willing to rent (very true where we live...)

 

I also second Military by Owner... and Trulia.com is easy to complete map searches within their criteria.

 

 

Lisa

Edited August 30, 2012 by LisaK in VA

[Chris in VA]

I thought I'd responded, but I can't find my post.

 

Here are some townhouses that are for rent in the Kingstowne area. The metro is about 2 miles away.

 

Look in Lorton, too, but not in the townhouses--look in Pohick Estates. You might find something there. She could take a bus to the mall/metro, and the VRE would get her places, too.